Remnants
by Sanzi
Summary: Oneshot written for humanbeldot's 26 OTP challenge, set a few days after Revolutions. Mentions of TriNeo and Morpheus/Niobe.


**Written for humanbeldot's alphabetical OTP challenge, letter 'R'**

**Title: Remnants (alternate title: Rewind)**

**Pairing: Mentions of Neo/Trinity and Morpheus/Niobe**

**Setting: Post-Revolutions, about four days after the final showdown.**

**Well, I've had this one laying around for nearly one and a half month now, debating whether it was finished or not. Finally I grew so tired of this, I decided to just post it as it is to get it off my back. It's far from my best works, could've used a beta, but I wanna start on another letter soon. The good thing is, while having a break from the writing I had time to draw instead, which meant that I managed to complete letters A, C and W too. So I haven't been inactive in this challenge, alas. :) By the way, a million thanks for all the reviews on my last story, too, much appreciated!  
**

**Remnants**

'_-Somebody has to clear out the apartment of Commanding officer Trinity and Private Neo. You and captain Niobe are currently out of ships, you are clearly fit to do it! ''_

Jason Locke had more or less spat the order in their faces the moment Morpheus entered the supreme commander's office. But neither he or Niobe said anything at that, just closed the door behind them and begun the long walk back down the stairs. Morpheus strongly suspected that Locke had acted more unsympathetic than usual because of Niobe's presence, knowing she'd walk back home with the former captain of the Nebuchadnezzar and spend the rest of the day in his company. Locke couldn't take failures.

_ Commanding officer Trinity and Private Neo…_It was typical for Locke to speak that way, especially of people he didn't like. He had disliked Trinity a long time, for various reasons, and since she nearly always was seen accompanied by Neo, some of his dislike was transferred to The One too. It didn't make things easier that the Supreme Commander still was fully sceptic to ''this Hocus Pocus about prophecies'', even after what had occurred these last days. That was probably the reason he unscrupulously could order them to break the tradition of leaving homes of soldiers fallen in battle untouched for a month, a common way of paying respect to .war heroes. Locke didn't understand what Neo's sacrifice meant to the inhabitants of Zion..

But to Morpheus, Neo and Trinity hadn't been just soldiers, saviours of mankind or crew members. They had been closer than friends, like son and daughter to him. To him, who was used to respecting the memory of good soldiers, it was sacrilege when he entered their former home. Niobe had visited the only person in Zion who had a spare key to Trinity's apartment, Ghost, to get the door opened, and the young man had joined in to help them. Neo had also had a key, but that one followed him to 01 in a twined cord around his neck and was obviously never coming back. Most likely had Trinity hidden her own key somewhere around the apartment before they left, but when it came to keeping things secret there hadn't been quite anyone like the Neb's second-in-command.

And if she had been here to hand it over they wouldn't have needed it anyway. If Neo and Trinity had been here the apartment wouldn't need clearing at all.

If, what if…Morpheus was once more filled by an intense wish to see them return again, to close them in his arms and congratulate them to saving mankind.

The trio went around in the apartment opening cupboards, emptying drawers, removing burnt candles from shelves and tables. The belongings were few: standard sets of rugged clothing and boots, household utensils and furniture. Everything except personal items was packed into two anonymous metal chests ready to be passed on to another generation of newly released redpills.

In the nightstand drawer, Morpheus found Trinity's graduation photo from the Zion academy. A young woman with long dark hair and a pretty, tomboyish face smiled at him from the black-white picture. She looked genuinely happy, as she always used to do after accomplishing something she had been working on for a long time- so different from the stern war-torn woman he used to know. Fifteen years in the battle field had it's price.

In same drawer he found Neo's ID card, the accompanying photo taken nearly two years ago when his hair hadn't quite grown out yet A serious young man, as he had been all the time Morpheus knew him. He was struck by how much Trinity and Neo resembled each other physically: the dark hair, high cheekbones and sharp features made them look like siblings. The remembered the first time Link came aboard of the Neb; he'd asked if they were twins.

Finally only the bed remained. Niobe contemplated it, knowing neither she nor the other two wanted to start the awkward task of unravelling the most private part of Neo's and Trinity's former home.

''Let's leave this part 'til tomorrow'' she suggested.

Morpheus was happy to agree. One more night, this room would be a tribute to it's former inhabitants.

* * *

**Sudden Death- I mean, sudden ending, once more. I hope the fic still was somewhat enjoyable, else I've wasted eight weeks. :-/ **


End file.
